Spectacular Blast

The Sun unleashed an M2 (medium-sized) solar flare with a substantial coronal mass ejection (June 7, 2011) that is visually spectacular. The large cloud of plasma mushroomed up, and while some parts of this fell back into the Sun, most rushed off into space. When viewed in the STEREO (Ahead) coronagraphs, the event shows a very bright plasma cloud roaring from the Sun. The first image and movies show the cloud in mid-flight by combining images taken at the same time: the orange-ish Sun itself (in extreme UV light) with the green C1, the reddish C2 coronagraph, and the blueish HI. The second image and movies show just the Sun and the C1 coronagraph, providing a closer view of the event, clearly showing material falling back down onto the Sun from astonishingly great heights. Images and movies of just the Sun itself during this event can be found on the Solar Dynamics Observatory web site here: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/potw.php?v=item&id=54